Arsenal have an option to extend Calum Chambers’ contract by an extra year to avoid the centre-half whom Mikel Arteta admires leaving for free, according to football.london.
Chambers is one of several first-team players who have less than 10-months remaining on their existing deals in north London. Strikers Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah, plus midfielder Mohamed Elneny and defender Sead Kolasinac are also out of contract in June.
Lacazette and Elneny have no plans to extend their stays at the Emirates Stadium beyond 2022. Arsenal Technical Director Edu and the French forward’s agent sort to secure a move this summer, but were unsuccessful. Elneny is considering a future away from the club, too.
Edu will likely look to sell Lacazette, Nketiah, Kolasinac and Elneny in January if they do not agree new deals. Chambers also faces an uncertain Arsenal future, although the club hold an option to extend his existing contract by 12-months.
The Gunners are yet to take up their option to extend Chambers’ £50k-a-week contract. But Arteta could later look into retaining the 26-year-old, as he values his professionalism and versatility. The Spaniard has fielded him at right-back and centre-half already this season.
Chambers opened the Gunners’ curtain-raising defeat against Brentford at full-back before switching centrally away to Manchester City last time out. He also featured regularly at right-back over the tail end of last term after recovering from a serious ACL injury.
The three-cap England international was particularly decisive in attack from full-back during Arsenal’s 3-3 draw with West Ham in March. He additionally offered two of his assists for the campaign during wins over West Brom and Brighton in May.
Should Arsenal extend Arteta-admired Chambers’ contract?
Arsenal could look to extend Chambers’ contract by 12-months as Arteta admires what he offers, while also protecting his value. The Gunners paid Southampton £16m for their academy product in 2014, as Arsene Wenger similarly admired his versatility.
But Chambers has struggled so far this season when fielded in either a right-back or centre-half role. He gave Sergi Canos far too much time to cut inside and score during Brentford’s shock win last month, while Christian Norgaard caught him ball-watching for their second.
Chambers was one of Arsenal’s weakest defensive links again during their humbling against title-holders Manchester City last time out, too. Ilkay Gundogan reaped the rewards of the Petersfield-born enforcer again carelessly ball watching, as he failed to control the air.
Gone, seemingly, is the defender Alan Shearer told premierleague.com was ‘rejuvenated’ under Arteta after his West Ham showpiece in March. And in his place, Chambers is left needing to improve if Arsenal are to trigger their contract option and avoid him joining their mass exodus of players leaving the Emirates on free transfers at the end of the season.
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